Cape Town - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Pretty large expat community. Overall morale is good and happy, especially for those who enjoy outdoor pursuits and the food and wine scene. The restaurants are great. - Aug 2021
Great morale and a large community. - Apr 2021
I have no idea what the size is, because expats are truly blended into the local community. If you're looking for a lot of support from people who share your US/EU background, you might be disappointed. There are large numbers of expats from other African countries, which have more community support, especially from Francophone countries due to the language barriers and xenophobia they may experience. - Feb 2018
Because the U.S. consulate is so far away from downtown and the rest of the diplomatic community, I can't speak to morale among expats overall, but morale at the consulate is quite high generally, though tempered somewhat by the crime concerns mentioned above and occasional frustrations with South African bureaucracy. - Oct 2017
Large with high morale, but low emphasis on the "community" aspect. Most expats filter into local groups of friends so that there isn't an expat "scene" the way there is in other places. Maybe the community connected to the American school is tighter knit. This isn't really a problem unless you choose to make it one. - May 2014
Huge, but invisible. We just blend in. - Aug 2013
Fair to large. I agree with a previous writer who said expats (non-diplomatic) tend to integrate well and - Oct 2007